POKESC17

Tomorrow is exactly 6 weeks for me (Jan 4th application date). Mine is currently sitting at Officer Assignments awaiting DPAOC3 action (whatever that means). Supposedly after that it goes to SAF/PC then the decision will be passed. I've yet to have anyone tell me a standard time other than the party line 6-8 weeks. I did have an airmen get approved in 3 weeks. Obviously a very different situation with a Sra WX dude vs a Senior O-3 RPA guy with time left on his ADSC. Again I'm a Med DQ so I would think mine is fairly cut and dry but apparently if you give them 6-8 weeks they are going to take 6-8. Ready to get out of Clovis!

WTF. an SSS, really? The WG/CC can't even sign it until after it's approved and even then it's a phone call from AFPC and they will put electronically signed. My application consisted of three pieces of paper. The Memo to AFPC. the 2631 and the 1288. I did have a face to face with the WG/CC but that just an off chance meeting. I applied about 11AM and it was passed trough CMS from my SQ/CC to the WG/CC to AFPC by 4PM.

I can't stress reading the Palace Chase Reg enough. There are tons of little gotcha's that are listed in that thing. The 90-180 day rule is one of them. Read all the FAQ's and every little note on the Palace Chase website. I found little things in my app that would have been an automatic denial. Of course mines still going through the wickets so take what I say with a grain of salt. Bad on your in-service recruiter for not telling you about the 90-120 day rule. Mine had me send her my app so she could QC everything and check dates before it went up. Still keeping my fingers cross that I get my approval this week so I can move forward.

Awaiting my final approval now. Of course I'm a med DQ and I'm not staying on AD any longer than I have too. I know it says 6-8 weeks for approval but what's average you guys are seeing. I'm sitting at week 6. Very close to losing a cash sale of my house and a $200K a year job if I don't have something official very soon.

2

I'm here right now. Academic Scheule is busy at first but quickly falls off. Like Wraith said, get the gouge from the class ahead of you and your good to go. You are free to go as you please. Only real restriction was you have to be able to get back by car within 12 hours. I think some guys are stretching that one a little but so far no one seems to care. When you start "flying" it's pretty random. I've had weeks where I've had 5 events that week and I've had others where I've only been scheduled for one and it CANX'd. They are getting ready to start using v.3 of their syllabus so I don't have any real info on what is about to change. I know it's going to be geared as a basic course due to the 18X's instead ot the current TX course that it is right now. Internet in lodging has gotten better but it seems to very buidling to building. PM me if you have anything more specific.

-1's or -9's?

I was thinking the same thing. Tell you what big boy! Write that LOC. I bet I win this fight.

We ran into a problem with Friday patches at Charleston. It's not written that we couldn't wear them but still caught flak over it, or at least our Chief caught flak over it. His end around was to get it added to the 2903 Wing sup that we could wear our Friday "Heritage" patch and a matching name tag. Until the Friday shirt got banned it was added as well. I personally never saw anyone or heard anyone ever complain about the patches and T-shirts except when he brought it up in a staff meeting that he was catching flak for it from the Chief's council. They were probably the only ones worried about it.

Keep us in the loop. I was told that my ADSC would be knocked back to a standard 4 year ADSC but I was later told that if Big Blue wanted to hold me to the original ADSC then they could. I never could get a definitive answer. Probably just never asked the right people.

I'm working with them right now. Highly recommend them.

Good luck. Very tough decision. Let us know how it goes.

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Lear is telling you exactly what you need to be doing. Migraine and flying don't mix. You need to be thinking about life outside the cockpit on this one. wife and kids if you got them, mom, dad or the dog. What ever is important to you outside of flying. Quality of life is another. Living without the Migraines two or three times a week is probably worth not flying. I was in a very similar situation. Headaches every day, some of them migraine intensity. Got to the point that I couldn't concentrate in the jet and it wasn't worth strapping in. If you want my story go You will be DNIF'd immediately but experiences my vary with the MEB. I was DNIF for a year, had two visits to the ACS folks at Brooks and Wright Pat, one visit to Willford Hall (avoid at all costs), and two to the eye surgeon that fixed me. MEB was mentioned only once and that was only to tell me that if I was DQ'd then I would face an MEB. Take the reigns out of the Doc's hands once your DNIF'd and it's determined what needs to be done. Find your own civilian Doc's that specialize in whatever your case is. At the same time start exploring your options for life not in the cockpit. Like Lear said, the choice is yours but if your concerned enough to be asking out here on the board then it's probably time to go see the Doc once you've gotten yourself informed on what you think might be wrong. Hard decision I know but I would gladly have handed over my wings to get rid of the pain. Luckily for me it was correctable and I'm back in the cockpit.

And now for the rest of the story. When they showed up to our jet all they wanted was pictures of our wonderful puke green boots. I'm expecting Chinese copies by the end of the week. I still chuckle when I think of them going nuts over our boots. They actually wanted close ups of the soles.

Lucky enough to be here for the whole show. Airbus is not having a good first day. Watching them tow the A400 out for its demo then promptly tow it back to parking was priceless.

True.

2. Just kind of amazing that you can go down the road to BAMC and they are putting kids back together including saving their eyesight but a doc that does a lot of work down at BAMC still thinks that the way to solve a condition like mine is by using technology and techniques that are 20-25 years old. Read a medical journal or something. Oh well I'm fixed now so it's just a matter of getting through the waiver process now.

Hardest part about that is not touching the shower walls!!

I got this email today. I laughed my ass off.

My waiver is sitting at AMC as of Thursday. It was submitted to the ACS guys at Wright-Pat to see if they wanted to evaluate me. Considering they wanted to see me before I had surgery, I can't imagine they will just say he is good to go. Obviously no guarantee that it will get approved but my flight doc seems very optimistic after talking to the civilian Doc. Whether or not the waiver gets approved, the fact that I no longer have headaches or double vision make this worth it. If you do end up going down this road be prepared to push for a civilian Doctor. Air Force Docs don't have a clue when it comes to this. At least those at Willford Hall, the supposed experts.

I don't recall anything about upgrades timelines getting ridiculous but according to the almighty powers AFPC, C-17's were overmanned with copilot's (never mind that we were undermanned when it came to AC's or IP's) so the solution was to send a bunch to white jets, U-28, UAV's, etc.

C-17 copilots where getting picked off in C-17's around 2008

University of Miami was the other place that kept popping up while I was doing my research. Glad to here it went positive for you. Now just to get the waiver approved.

Not until after my follow up Post Op in March and then a visit to Wright-Pat.